VIDEO: Kayak on the future of meta, Google and the limitations of voice search

By some measures it’s been a tough year for traditional metasearch players, including Kayak.

Google has been picking up steam in sending referrals to airline websites, while at the same time traffic coming from Kayak has dropped, according to web monitoring service SimilarWeb.

But during two interviews at The Phocuswright Conference in Los Angeles, Kayak CEO Steve Hafner remained upbeat.

In his signature forthright style, Hafner acknowledged Google’s strength but contends Kayak “will be one of the winners” in the inevitable future consolidation of metasearch brands - with a caveat that the brand he co-founded in 2004 has specific areas that need improvement.

He also explained his strategy for tackling the Asian market - Kayak has assumed leadership of Sydney-based HotelsCombined with its acquisition by parent company Booking Holdings reaching closure just yesterday - and the unique challenges of creating a presence in China.

Hafner also shared his thoughts on meta-book, the limitations of voice interfaces for travel and plans to blend knowledge and product development between Kayak and OpenTable to drive customer acquisition for both. (Earlier this year, Hafner assumed responsibility for OpenTable, also owned by Booking Holdings).

First up is Hafner’s interview on Center Stage.

Later, Hafner joined us in the PhocusWire studio.